Cook pasta and broccoli together in a large pot of salted water, according to package directions for al dente (or slightly under cook 2 minutes). Once cooked, drained and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Place the macaroni and broccoli back in the pot. Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large skillet, melt butter. Add onion and cook over low heat about 2 minutes, add flour and cook another minute, or until the flour is golden and well combined. Add milk and chicken broth and whisk, raising heat to medium-high until it comes to a boil; cook about 5 minutes or until the sauce becomes smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the sauce is thick, remove from heat, add shredded cheese and mix well until cheese is melted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add the feta cheese to the pot of drained macaroni and broccoli and mix. Then add the sauce mixture to the pot of macaroni and mix well. Pour into prepared baking dish. Top with breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray on top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, then broil for two minutes to get the breadcrumbs golden.

Directions:
Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Roughly mash the black beans with a fork, leaving some chunks.
Mix the quinoa, bread crumbs, bell pepper, onion, garlic, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, hot pepper sauce, olive oil, salt, pepper and egg into the black beans using your hands.
Form the black bean mixture into patties.
Cook in skillet on medium head, covered, until outside is slightly crispy (10-15 minutes).

Chop cauliflower into medium sized chunks. Place in food processor and pulse until you have rice sized pieces, do not over process. Cook in skillet on medium heat with 1T of olive oil, for about 5 minutes. Then toss with cilantro salt pepper and lime juice.

Directions: roll out pizza crust, place on pizza stone, top with sauce, mozzarella cheese, ground chicken, sun dried tomatoes, and walnuts bake at 375 for about 15 minutes then take out of the oven and top with arugula, basil and feta cheese.

Breakfast is by far the most important meal of the day. When you eat is just as important as what you eat. Think of it this way, your body has just been fasting for the last 9-12 hours since dinner last night. Your body is low on energy and energy storage. You need to refuel, especially if you are going to get a morning workout in! You need enough carbohydrates to have a successful workout and to help your body tissues recover. Breakfast not only influences how we perform physically, but it has cognitive effects as well. Your brain needs energy just as your muscles do.

Another risk of skipping breakfast is a prolonged increase of a stress hormone called cortisol. At night, cortisol levels increase and when you skip breakfast you may be at an increased risk for fat storage and breakdown of muscle. Make sure to eat breakfast within 1 hour of waking up in the morning.

Studies show that breakfast is a must have!

Dieters who eat breakfast daily have the most success.

Students perform better in school.

Athletes work harder and longer after a high carbohydrate morning meal.

There are many excuses in the non-breakfast eater’s world. You may think you do not have time to make a healthy breakfast so you grab a donut on your way out the door. Instead, you could grab an apple, granola bar, and a serving of low-fat milk to go. Maybe you are not hungry around breakfast time because you ate too late so limit late night snacking. Maybe you do not like breakfast foods. There is nothing wrong with having last night’s leftovers for breakfast! Fad dieters may want to skip breakfast to save up their calories. This is just setting yourself up for failure. Without breakfast, your appetite is ravenous and your sugar cravings are out of control. You will most likely over eat and make poor food choices throughout the day.

Some good choices for a balanced and quick breakfast include:

A bowl of whole-grain cereal topped with almonds, fruit, and low-fat milk

Low-fat yogurt mixed with fruit; a side of 1-2 slices of whole-wheat toast with butter or peanut butter

Scrambled eggs, a whole wheat roll, fresh fruit, and a glass of milk

My personal favorite: a big fruit and vegetable smoothie

As long as your breakfast contains a mix of carbohydrates and protein, your muscles and brain will be refueled and ready to go for the long day ahead.

-Macy

This post is featured on livebreathenutrition.com the website of Chrissy Barth, MS, RD, BHT, RYT

A balanced nutrition plan that includes all the food groups promotes high-quality health and nourishment for our bodies and brains. Although every food group is vital, carbohydrates provide the most fuel for your muscles. Each person is different when it comes to his or her carbohydrate needs. For instance, a 125-pound (45kg) female athlete may need to consume 5 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight, which would mean she would need to consume 225 grams of carbohydrates per day. This varies greatly among male and female athletes and their sport. Consult with your dietitian to figure out the amount of carbohydrates that are necessary for you and your unique body and brain.

When your body stores carbohydrates, it stores them as glycogen. The quicker and higher the intensity of your workout, the more glycogen is used. When you are participating in a longer and lower intensity activity, your body is going to use more fat and less glycogen for fuel. Different activities require different sources and amounts of fuel from the body.

There are two types of carbohydrates, those that are more nutrient rich like fruits, vegetables, rice, potatoes, bread, and low-fat milk and yogurt and those that are less nutrient rich such as candy, soda, and cookies. Both types have alike abilities to fuel your muscles, but different abilities to supply your body with the important vitamins and minerals it needs.

One of the biggest myths among dieters is that carbohydrates are fattening to our bodies. This is false; eating excess calories on a daily basis if not burned as fuel will lead to weight gain typically in the form of body fat. Carbohydrates provide you with the energy you need to finish a workout or even to start one. They also help repair your body after a workout. In order for your body to repair itself, you need nutrient-rich carbohydrates like a glass of low-fat chocolate milk rather than a chocolate bar. When choosing carbohydrates, it is best to pick fruits, vegetables, low-fat milk and yogurt, and whole grains 80% of the time.

-Macy

This blog entry is also featured on livebreathenutrition.com which is Chrissy Barth, MS, RD, BHT, RYT website, a sports dietitian for the Arizona Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers